Eddie Jones scored 18 of his 28 points in the first half as the
unbeaten Los Angeles Lakers routed the hapless Los Angeles
Clippers, 119-102.

Jones established career highs in free throws attempted and
made, going 13-of-16 from the line. He shook off a cut over his
left eye in the third quarter to score five straight points in
the fourth, helping the Lakers put the game away.

Kobe Bryant scored 24 points and Sean Rooks added a season-high
15 for the Lakers (11-0), who were without star center Shaquille
O'Neal -- their leading scorer and rebounder. O'Neal is out for
at least a week due to an abdominal strain.

"Eddie did a great job of picking us up with some scoring,"
Bryant said. "We have a lot of talent on this team. We are
still a great team without Shaq, but it is important that
everyone picks up their game."

The Clippers led midway through the first quarter, but Jones
scored seven of his 13 first-quarter points in the final 4:19 of
the period. His three-point play gave the Lakers a 27-20 lead
and Rooks followed with a pair of free throws for a nine-point
advantage with 1:04 left in the quarter. The Lakers took a
31-24 lead entering the second quarter.

The Lakers built the lead to 14 points at 41-27 with 6:14 left
in the second quarter when Elden Campbell blocked a shot and
knocked down a jumper on the other end. They maintained a
double-digit advantage until late in the period, when James
Robinson hit a jumper and a layup in the final 31 seconds as the
Clippers closed within 55-47 at halftime.

Lorenzen Wright's two free throws with 6:55 left in the third
capped a 19-10 run that gave the Clippers a 66-65 lead. Jones
was forced to leave the floor during that span, when he was
fouled by Wright on a drive to the basket, opening a cut above
the eye that required stitches.

"I didn't see it coming," Jones said. "I just grabbed my head
and then there was blood on my hand. I hate needles and
stitches and the minute I felt the blood I knew I would need
stitches. I knew I was going to go back in the game. When I
was in here I was asking them how long it was going to take."

The Lakers regrouped behind Bryant, who make a jumper and
converted a three-point play for a 72-68 advantage with 3:36
left in the period. Bryant had nine points in the quarter as
the Lakers took an 84-74 lead into the fourth.

"We gave ourselves a shot at the start of the half, and I
thought we were going to win the ballgame," Clippers coach Bill
Fitch said. "We were doing the things we had to do. Then Kobe
and Eddie started to do their shtick one-on-one and breaking you
down defensively. That gave them the momentum to get back into
the game. That was exactly the turning point."

Six straight points early in the fourth quarter extended the
Lakers' lead to 14 points. The Clippers closed within 102-91 on
Maurice Taylor's basket, but Jones hit a jumper and a
three-pointer as the Lakers opened a 16-point bulge, 107-91,
with 5:19 to play.

Campbell finished with 13 points and Rick Fox 12 for the Lakers,
who shot 50 percent (42-of-84) from the field in giving coach
Del Harris his 500th career victory. Nick Van Exel handed out
11 assists.